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The Professional Autobiography

The professional autobiography - updated videos from the session

IanThe Professional Autobiography

This session and activity links directly with the methodology of " Practitioner Research" which was discussed elsewhere.  The source of this thinking about research as a process stems back directly to feminist researchers of the 1970's onwards. They pointed out that most research was undertaken by white men and argued for "objectivity", and yet did not represent the lives of women or other groups. They saw their experiences as women as central to the way they saw the world, and later constructed their research. They had beliefs and values based upon their experiences, and thus argues that there could be no absolute onjectivity but ought to be an awareness of their subjectivity based upon their beliefs and values, and their experiences.
 
You should construct your professional autobiobraphy around:
  • What are your experiences and influnences of your topic?
  • What beliefs and values have you about this topic?
  • How do you construct the world?
  • What bias is there?

 

 Videos below









The professional autobiography forms one part of the introduction and content setting, which may also include Introduction, Needs analysis and justification, Context setting and other materials.

 

Exploring Your construction of the world.

Constructivist Learning Theory (Piaget and Vygotsky) tells us to learn (in this case) from research you need to act upon and deal with your contrsuction of the world. (Look up contruct theory by Kelly). This exercise helps you see how you already construct the world.

1. Write on 12-20 cards statements about your research topic you hold to be true.

2. Select the most important nine (or combine).

3. Group: Select the most important and least important, and order the rest as a "diamond nine"

4. Reshuffle

 This "model" is your contruct of your topic. This informs your research, which will hopefully inform your contruct. You can put this diagram in your professional autobiography.( Example here)

 

Please refer to the following materials:

Slides (click to download or simply view above)

Example 1 (This is a big file - video)

 

Example 2:

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